Two teenage girls deal with spirits in West Africa. Ozoemena has been chosen to be the family's next leopard. The leopard spirit is stalking her, waiting for her to agree to the merge. She, on the other hand, is still angry at her father, who has left the family to find his brother's spirit, the last leopard.

Treasure's father is also gone but he has died. Before he died, Treasure and her mother lived with him in a nice house with anything they wanted. But after his death, his brothers moved in and took everything, evicting the two women. They now live in a hovel, often hungry unless Treasure is able to scrounge some food somehow. She makes a deal with a spirit to find him wives if he will introduce her to the Bone Woman. The Bone Woman can bring back her father from the dead.

The two girls hurtle down their separate paths, both trying to restore their families. But their paths will collide and only one can survive. Which will it be?

Chikodili Emelumadu was raised in Nigeria. This is her debut novel and for most readers it will be an introduction to the culture and superstitions of West Africa. The girls recognize the value of an education and both long to be in a school situation. Both girls use what they know to try to patch their broken families and both soon realize that they have gotten in over their heads. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction, especially international fiction.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a stunning debut filled with women's rights and wrongs, claiming what is yours, and fighting to find your place in the world. a great debut for Emelumandu, and i will definitely look out for future works of hers!

This book took a little while to get into. And I won’t lie, I was confused for a decent amount of the time. But then, it all kind of clicked. And the pace picked up. And damn. This book is magical, and horrific, and endearing all at once. It’s dazzling.

*Reviewed without spoilers*

Great debut. I enjoyed the dual POV and dual timelines within the story. The author paints a beautiful story of loss, grief, and strength seen through the eyes of Treasure and Ozoemena with character development, peak fantasy, and magical realism. This book blends African mythology and supernatural fiction. I enjoyed this book and plan to review it on my IG page in-depth.

Thank you, @NetGalley and @headlinebooks, for this eARC and the opportunity to review!

I'm not well-versed in Nigerian day-to-day culture and mythologies and welcomed DAZZLING for the various ways it expanded my understanding of what it means to be a girl in this part of the world. The story follows Treasure and Ozoemena, as they grow from young girls to women, and the various wants and responsibilities that pull them in different directions.

I appreciated the magical realism that embedded itself so well throughout the story and added to a sense of discomfort as both girls had to traverse experiences above their years. It made me want to reach more Nigerian authors! That being said, the ending felt rushed after the many pages spent building up to a climax - so much so that it ended up frustrating me. I think some might enjoy the ambiguity, but it personally didn't work for me.

It took some time for me to really be immersed in this story, but around the 25% mark is when things really picked up for me and I appreciated the momentum.

The West African lore and legends are rich and I appreciated how diverse the cast was. Definitely will be recommending this book to my audience.

Thank you NetGalley & Headline for this advanced copy! I loved the multiple narratives, as they told beautiful stories in strong voices. The beginning was very intriguing, but I found myself less invested in this magical realistic story by the end.

This is a particular type of book for a particular audience, but I cannot truly pinpoint what that audience would be. This book is literary fiction with a bit of magical realism, but I didn't understand the magical realism. Is it supposed to be a metaphor? Is it meant to be taken literally? Or is it just a fantasy/mythology novel? I have realized I am a reader that likes to have a lot of answers - and this book is not one that will necessarily give them to you.

I was very intrigued in the beginning and at the end - but I almost DNFed about 70% through. I just wasn't getting it. I was very interested in seeing what happened, but I still don't get it. Also, there's a lot of bodily fluids in this that just did not work for me.

I really recommend listening to this book in audio if you're not well acquainted with different forms of Nigerian slang or pidgen. As many have said in other reviews, Treasure's narration is written in a way that I did not fully understand, though this is likely just from lack of awareness of this form of English. The audio really helped - I was able to tell when certain writing techniques were meant as emphasis as opposed to a fully different meaning.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB media for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with an eARC of this novel. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really appreciate that I was given a chance to read this, however, something about it didn't work for me and I think it is a me thing. This books is well written with interesting and distinctive characters, but for me there was an emotional disconnect that I didn't expect going in. I was interested in the subject matter and the Nigerian mythology/spirituality aspects of it. However, I was just not invested in the characters and how their lives were progressing. I think this is just not a book for me, however, I think when it finds its audience it will soar. It's unfortunately not me.

This interesting Nigerian story is a bit of Magical Realism based on Igbo mythology and culture.

It is the story of two young girls Treasure and Ozemena, whose fates are unknowingly intertwined. Treasure’s family has lost everything when her father died. And she would do anything to get him back. When she encounters a spirit, she is entangled in his web of promises, and she must fight for her own survival and the possible return of her father’s spirit. Ozemena finds herself similarly trapped with the spiritual world. Her family dynasty is one where in each generation, one person joins with the mystical Panther and fights evil. She will be herself one instant, and suddenly she is the panther, chasing evil. When Ozemena goes to boarding school, she eventually realizes that the evil the Panther has been chasing is somewhere at the school.

Emelụmadụ has done a great job of world building. All the settings, from the homes, the market, and the school are described with such detail that the reader can easily envision the scene. She also paints the mystical realm with creativity. The author writes this book through two points of view and through nonlinear narrative that jumps between the past and the present. This can often be confusing for a reader. But the two main characters each have a very distinctive voice. Ozemena was a star student and speaks excellent English. Treasure speaks with a distinctive Nigerian Patois. Although the distinctiveness of her language adds interest and authenticity to the character, it also makes for more difficult reading at times. One must deduce the meaning of what she is saying and it isnt always evident. When Treasure’s family finances change, she is tutored to prepare her for boarding school. Treasure learns to speak English with ease, and with the character using her given name, the reader has no idea which student the Panther is chasing. The ending is a surprising but satisfying conclusion to a very good book.

This review is based on an advanced copy provided by the publisher through Netgalley. I would recommend this book to lovers of Magical Realism as well as those interested in a story based in Nigeria.

Struggling after the death of her father, Treasure encounters a spirit promising to resurrect him in exchange for a terrible deed. As Treasure bargains for her father’s life, Ozoemena grapples with an unexpected destiny as a Leopard, a role traditionally reserved for men. It’s an honor she couldn’t want less as she tries desperately to fit in at her new boarding school. As both girls navigate the loss of their fathers and their newfound connections with the spirit world, they find themselves on a collision course toward each other.

Dazzling is a vibrant and immersive new book release full of magic and Nigerian mythology. Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ writes both girls with a strong narrative voice, and readers will root for both Treasure and Ozoemena in their pursuits of happiness and justice.

As a lover of magical realism and mythology, I was immediately enthralled when stumbling upon this book. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not familiar with Nigerian mythology and culture, so this book was every bit as educational as it was fantastic. The writing style and mood was at the same time vivid and tense, dark and engrossing - I honestly have no other books to compare this to because of the unique writing style.

One element that sets this book apart is its authenticity, both in the characterization of Ozoemena and Treasure and in its dedication to Nigerian language. I admire the author for including Nigerian colloquialisms and phrases throughout the book; as a Western reader, I did find these parts more challenging and worried that I may have missed something. But I don't think the book would be the same without it. The two main characters are also portrayed very genuinely for pre-teen girls, despite dealing with responsibilities and worries that no 10-year-old should have. I felt deeply for both main characters and their voices is where this book truly stood out for me.

With the graphic moments and intense writing, this book was a challenging read, but an intriguing one.

Readers interested in sticking a little closer to the real world than a secondary fantasy setting are likely to be entranced by Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ’s Dazzling, which is set in Nigeria. Opening with what feels like a fable of a stranger being denied hospitality, the story soon delves into the lives of two modern girls. When Ozoemena is told she’ll have to be held back in school, her mother enrolls her in a boarding school instead, which does give Ozoemena freedom from her religious mother and taunting older sister. It also forces her to run smack into the legacy of her father: she’s been marked as a protector of the land and its people with the ability to become a Leopard.

Despite being an honor, it’s a heavy burden, especially since it’s one not normally bestowed on a girl. Treasure has an entirely different relationship with spiritual powers. After her father’s death, she’s reduced to begging. She happens upon one of her father’s old associates—and discovers that her father made bargains with spirits. She wants nothing to do with them (Emelụmadụ’s phrases it, from Treasure’s perspective: “Afraid is doing my whole body from my head down to my toes”), but she’s out of options. Their paths are destined to cross on a course that will require both of them to make sacrifices—and determine the cost of their futures in a world that seems determined to silence them. Emelụmadụ’s prose is gorgeous, whether in the third person present of Ozoemena’s story or the first-person dialectical cadence of Treasure’s narration. There’s a lot to dig into here, and readers who enjoy magical realism that leans into mythology will quickly become immersed in the world of the two alternating protagonists.

Real sad to say that I had to DNF this one... Maybe I'll try again another time but could not find the energy to work through this, despite multiple attempts.

I made it to 30% in this story before I decided to DNF. I just wasn't connecting with the characters like I wanted to, and my brain was working overtime to understand the sections written from Treasure's POV, so I feel like I may have been missing things that were important to the plot. There's nothing wrong with the book, I think it's more a case of "right book, wrong time" for me, so I plan to try it again in the future!

Thank you to Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ, Overlook Press, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

I loved the folklore and horror aspects of this, but I never really got into it the way I'd hoped to. I think it might've been the three different perspectives (Treasure then, Ozomena then, Ozomena now) that made it hard to keep everything straight. I usually like shifting perspectives, and Treasure's and Ozomena's voices are so different that they were easy to keep straight, but something about this just didn't hold my interest and took me way longer to read than it should have.

I do plan to read more from this author in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and ABRAMS Books!

Note: review on Goodreads does not include star rating

I selected this book based on the publisher’s blurb which likened it to The Girl with the Louding Voice and The Water Dancer. Unfortunately, I enjoyed those two novels much better than this one. In fairness, it is a solid offering, steeped in the growing pangs of childhood angst (sibling rivalry, social acceptance, etc), family obligations, love and loss – all with a touch of magical realism inspired by Nigerian folklore and myth. Many might say it holds its place amongst the two novels heralded in the promotion material. However, each book stands alone and in an effort not to compare, this one just didn’t “wow” me and I closed the book a bit disappointed as I wanted it to be true to the title.

It centers on two teen girls from two different walks of life and the strange and ethereal circumstances that merge their worlds. Ozoemena becomes an unwilling Famous First of her kind in her family and grapples with the responsibility that it entails almost by trial and error. Treasure, mourns the loss of her father, dabbles with a demanding and manipulative spirit who promises the desires of her heart - the reunification of her beloved (but deceased) father.

This is a personal issue, but I struggled with Treasure’s “voice,” which was written in Nigerian patois. Some passages, phrases, and words were difficult for me to comprehend, so I relied heavily on deduction via context. And because of this, the cadence was disruptive; overall, it was not enjoyable to me from the beginning and didn’t get better or easier as the novel progressed. It didn’t take long to realize that I dreaded whenever the story shifted to her plotline (which in essence, is half the book) and skimmed through those sections (as it could be quite wordy). I wanted to appreciate this aspect of the novel and the character; however, it was more of an impediment than an attribute, in my opinion.

The story itself is fine - the author has twists and turns to avoid any assumptions of predictability. I’m sure some will become endeared to the girls; I did not. No doubt, those who don’t share my forementioned struggles may find it to be a good read of teens grappling with the challenges entering adulthood: wanting to be loved and liked, the realities of sexism in a patriarchal society, trying to comprehend the world and their place in it, making life-changing choices and dealing with the consequences, etc. Continued success and warm wishes to the author.

Thanks to the publisher, Abrams, The Overlook Press, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

Thanks to the publishers at ABRAMS for the chance to read Dazzling by Chikodili Emelumadu.

Two girls, Ozoemena and Treasure, are both enveloped in otherworldly magic for different reasons. Ozoemena is the latest in a long line of leopards (as in literally turn into a leopard to grisly consequences), and the first female in her family to do so. Treasure on the other hand grieves her late father, and get into a proverbial devil’s bargain (but literally with another spirit trying to marry her) for his soul. The story is told through their perspectives and connects these two in the climax of the novel, even if they seem like disparate narratives.

I struggled getting through some parts of the book because of my lack of familiarity with Igbo, pidgin, and other ways Nigerians speak, but to me, that’s a huge strength of the book. It’s uncompromising in both its horror and centering of Igbo culture, which makes it stand out from many other author’s debut novels.

I do wish I was able to get more insight into the different systems of magic, especially with the origin of the Bone Woman and her power. There is a chapter on the myth of creation of Okpoko, but I’d have love to see how that ties more intimately with the lives of the protagonists and their respective conflicts.

Overall, I’m excited for this book to find itself in the hands of other folks of Nigerian descent, and eager to hear what they have to say.

I thought this was a good book! I loved how everything tied itself together at the end. One of my favorite fantasy novels I've read in a long time.

Technically, this story begins with a brief prologue, a man who has likely been a slave, possibly a criminal, arrives in a town by a river. The goddess Idemili watches over him.

’On the day Ozoemena’s uncle Odiogo died, she developed an itch in the middle of her back that no amount of scratching could ease. She did not tell anyone. Ozoemena, at eight, was a girl who had learned to read a room and provide exactly what it needed; and in that moment, the room needed her silence. Her uncle had just been delivered to their house, shot multiple times by armed robbers.’
This is how the story begins, and whatever the life that Ozoemena had hoped for changes drastically, again, soon after.

The physical setting for this story is primarily in a boarding school in Nigeria, a place and time where these two young girls, Treasure and Ozoemena, are on the edge of becoming young women, forge a friendship over their tragedies that others would not relate to.

Treasure’s father has died, and without a man to protect her mother they lose virtually everything to other family members. When a spirit offers her a way for her father to return as well as goods to keep their family afloat, she agrees to help find this spirit ’wives’.

When Ozoemena’s uncle is murdered, a man whose spirit was a leopard, she inherits his ‘identity’ as this spirit needs a new body to inhabit.

A strange, often dark, and often disturbing, story that is heavily infused with magical realism. It is a beautifully written story, but it is a story which will not appeal to all.


Pub Date: 05 Dec 2023

Many thanks for the ARC provided by ABRAMS / The Overlook Press